Should I throw my scales in the trash?
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Every morning, my wife and I calibrate our scale using the same kettlebell sitting in the bathroom. Takes the guesswork out of wondering if your scale isn't accurate.
Nope, sorry - you're doing more than most people would ever do but getting nowhere nearer to finding out if they are good at weighing you (or your wife)
Place a 25lb kettlebell on a scale and it reads 25lb all you've proved is that the scale is good at measuring at the 25lb spot. It says nothing about how good the scales are at your or your wife's weight or indeed how good they are at weighing a 25lb kettlebell twice or three times in a row.
To be considered "good" scales need to be:- Accurate - for example 25lb reads as 25lb
- Precise - for example 10 x 25lb weight will return 10 x 25lb readings
- Linear - from zero, adding increments will return the correct value (linearity is therefore usually calculated as a coefficient over a stated range)
But, all that is irrelevant unless you need to hit a specific weight (for example for a sport like boxing) - the trend is enough.5 -
If you get a different reading stepping on and right back on several times in a row then there is probably something wrong with your scale. Being up 1 lb or a difference between your scale and the doctor's scale does not mean there is something wrong with your scale.
You could try it in different spots in the house. Make sure you are not putting it on carpeting. You could try changing the battery. You could put a weight on it and see what you get.
But get a new scale if it makes you feel more confident. I don't know if more expensive is better. I have had the same scale for years and it was probably $20-$30 and is fine.
If you get a new scale you have a new start weight. You do not compare to your old scale weight or the doctor's scale. Always use the same scale.0 -
To everyone who is so happy about the fake consistency of electronic scales note that for exactly the perceptual reasons you all describe most modern scales are preset by the factory to NOT give you a new reading until a certain difference (varies by manufacturer and model) is detected)
You can test this.
Weight a measuring cup with maybe an oz of water (don't go more than 0.2lbs (3.2oz total weight) for the first test).
Get in the scale holding it.
If you lose 0.2lbs overnight your scale should show it, right?
So put the cup down and weigh yourself again. Oh look. The same. I.e. fake consistency.
Now fill it up with 2 cups of water and weigh yourself.... more, right? Now put it down and weigh yourself. Less. But is it the same as that previous weigh in without water?
Aha. Your scale is lying (most do). The Fitbit aria I use does too after the third consecutive weigh in unless you do a battery pull and recalibration.
However, all of them, over time, and using a trending weight app or web site will give us an adequate picture of what is happening with our weight!
^^ interesting - I didn't know that. I'm going to test mine at home for this behaviour. Thanks.0 -
StealthHealth wrote: »To everyone who is so happy about the fake consistency of electronic scales note that for exactly the perceptual reasons you all describe most modern scales are preset by the factory to NOT give you a new reading until a certain difference (varies by manufacturer and model) is detected)
You can test this.
Weight a measuring cup with maybe an oz of water (don't go more than 0.2lbs (3.2oz total weight) for the first test).
Get in the scale holding it.
If you lose 0.2lbs overnight your scale should show it, right?
So put the cup down and weigh yourself again. Oh look. The same. I.e. fake consistency.
Now fill it up with 2 cups of water and weigh yourself.... more, right? Now put it down and weigh yourself. Less. But is it the same as that previous weigh in without water?
Aha. Your scale is lying (most do). The Fitbit aria I use does too after the third consecutive weigh in unless you do a battery pull and recalibration.
However, all of them, over time, and using a trending weight app or web site will give us an adequate picture of what is happening with our weight!
^^ interesting - I didn't know that. I'm going to test mine at home for this behaviour. Thanks.
Mine definitely does this, and it is also unreliable at zeroing itself and the first reading tends to be off - but it then gets stuck on that. I weigh three times, zeroing it and weighing my foot in between.
Why they can't give digital bathroom scales a tare button so you can manually zero it, as with kitchen scales, I will never know. It would make weighing suitcases way easier, too.2 -
StealthHealth wrote: »To everyone who is so happy about the fake consistency of electronic scales note that for exactly the perceptual reasons you all describe most modern scales are preset by the factory to NOT give you a new reading until a certain difference (varies by manufacturer and model) is detected)
You can test this.
Weight a measuring cup with maybe an oz of water (don't go more than 0.2lbs (3.2oz total weight) for the first test).
Get in the scale holding it.
If you lose 0.2lbs overnight your scale should show it, right?
So put the cup down and weigh yourself again. Oh look. The same. I.e. fake consistency.
Now fill it up with 2 cups of water and weigh yourself.... more, right? Now put it down and weigh yourself. Less. But is it the same as that previous weigh in without water?
Aha. Your scale is lying (most do). The Fitbit aria I use does too after the third consecutive weigh in unless you do a battery pull and recalibration.
However, all of them, over time, and using a trending weight app or web site will give us an adequate picture of what is happening with our weight!
^^ interesting - I didn't know that. I'm going to test mine at home for this behaviour. Thanks.
Read http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10485204/dumb-scale-question-weight-watchers-scale
Pissed me off when I figured this out.
My Withings doesn't have this issue. Between that and it putting my weights into the different apps without me doing anything, I am liking it so far.0 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »StealthHealth wrote: »To everyone who is so happy about the fake consistency of electronic scales note that for exactly the perceptual reasons you all describe most modern scales are preset by the factory to NOT give you a new reading until a certain difference (varies by manufacturer and model) is detected)
You can test this.
Weight a measuring cup with maybe an oz of water (don't go more than 0.2lbs (3.2oz total weight) for the first test).
Get in the scale holding it.
If you lose 0.2lbs overnight your scale should show it, right?
So put the cup down and weigh yourself again. Oh look. The same. I.e. fake consistency.
Now fill it up with 2 cups of water and weigh yourself.... more, right? Now put it down and weigh yourself. Less. But is it the same as that previous weigh in without water?
Aha. Your scale is lying (most do). The Fitbit aria I use does too after the third consecutive weigh in unless you do a battery pull and recalibration.
However, all of them, over time, and using a trending weight app or web site will give us an adequate picture of what is happening with our weight!
^^ interesting - I didn't know that. I'm going to test mine at home for this behaviour. Thanks.
Read http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10485204/dumb-scale-question-weight-watchers-scale
Pissed me off when I figured this out.
My Withings doesn't have this issue. Between that and it putting my weights into the different apps without me doing anything, I am liking it so far.
Will test this weekend and report back - mine are some cheap aldi digital ones. Would be ironic if this were the case because I just gave away a set of perfectly good Salter mechanical scales. Why? Because my eyesight is no longer good enought to read the display and I fell off (naked) when I tried to crouch for a weigh in #TheJoysOfOldAge0 -
Tested - turns out my scales are Salter, glass top and they don't suffer from the "previous reading" issue that others talk about.1
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I have the Fitbit Aria scale too and it's been fine. I am interested in this one but no need to spend on a second scale and also I know the numbers couldn't really be that accurate: https://www.vanityplanet.com/products/body-analyzer10
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I never listen to the scales.. I find they're full of it... I have found that my clothes tell the better tale.. I maybe weigh myself once a month just to satisfy my curiosity...0
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To everyone who is so happy about the fake consistency of electronic scales note that for exactly the perceptual reasons you all describe most modern scales are preset by the factory to NOT give you a new reading until a certain difference (varies by manufacturer and model) is detected)
You can test this.
Weight a measuring cup with maybe an oz of water (don't go more than 0.2lbs (3.2oz total weight) for the first test).
Get in the scale holding it.
If you lose 0.2lbs overnight your scale should show it, right?
So put the cup down and weigh yourself again. Oh look. The same. I.e. fake consistency.
Now fill it up with 2 cups of water and weigh yourself.... more, right? Now put it down and weigh yourself. Less. But is it the same as that previous weigh in without water?
Aha. Your scale is lying (most do). The Fitbit aria I use does too after the third consecutive weigh in unless you do a battery pull and recalibration.
However, all of them, over time, and using a trending weight app or web site will give us an adequate picture of what is happening with our weight!
I have noticed this "fake consistency" issue and gotten rid of a scale because of it.
I have a $30 Weight Watchers scale that I love. It doesn't have the fake consistency issue.1 -
I had a few cheap Walmart scales. I could step on them 3,4,5 times and never get the same reading twice. I was annoyed by that. So I splurged and got an Omron Body comp scale. It cost me about $130 but I think it's worth it. I can step on it as many times as I want and get the same exact reading every time. I do the full body comp every Saturday morning. I think it's a great scale.
It looks like they are a lot cheaper now.
https://omronhealthcare.com/products/body-composition-monitor-scale-seven-indicators-hbf514c/
They're programmed to do that. They remember the last number they reported, and if they sense a similar weight they just show the last result.2 -
NorthCascades wrote: »I had a few cheap Walmart scales. I could step on them 3,4,5 times and never get the same reading twice. I was annoyed by that. So I splurged and got an Omron Body comp scale. It cost me about $130 but I think it's worth it. I can step on it as many times as I want and get the same exact reading every time. I do the full body comp every Saturday morning. I think it's a great scale.
It looks like they are a lot cheaper now.
https://omronhealthcare.com/products/body-composition-monitor-scale-seven-indicators-hbf514c/
They're programmed to do that. They remember the last number they reported, and if they sense a similar weight they just show the last result.
I don't know about that and several people are making that claim so I won't debate it. I know I can step on mine, my wife can step on it (she weighs less) and I can step on it again and get the same result. That's consistent and accurate enough for me.
I have a Walmart Weight-Watchers body comp scale and it's a P.O.S.0 -
NorthCascades wrote: »I had a few cheap Walmart scales. I could step on them 3,4,5 times and never get the same reading twice. I was annoyed by that. So I splurged and got an Omron Body comp scale. It cost me about $130 but I think it's worth it. I can step on it as many times as I want and get the same exact reading every time. I do the full body comp every Saturday morning. I think it's a great scale.
It looks like they are a lot cheaper now.
https://omronhealthcare.com/products/body-composition-monitor-scale-seven-indicators-hbf514c/
They're programmed to do that. They remember the last number they reported, and if they sense a similar weight they just show the last result.
I don't know about that and several people are making that claim so I won't debate it. I know I can step on mine, my wife can step on it (she weighs less) and I can step on it again and get the same result. That's consistent and accurate enough for me.
I have a Walmart Weight-Watchers body comp scale and it's a P.O.S.
Not all of them are, and yours may not be. Only 1 of my 3 does this (although I won't swear scale #2 doesn't, never tested it).0 -
One thing to do before buying a new one- replace the battery. I did that on mine and the problems I was having with wonky weights corrected itself. It's supposed to have a "low battery" symbol when that happens, but it wasn't showing up. The problem was the battery, however. You dont have to pay that much to get one that is rated accurate by many buyers. I got mine from Amazon a few years back, it was between 20 and 30 dollars, i forget now, and its among the top 3 or so recommended on most sites Ive researched. (An Eat Smart precision digital). It doesnt do fancy things, it just weighs, but that's all I needed.0
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All of this info about how to tell if you have a properly functioning scale is great info! But...
OP, your weight will ALWAYS fluctuate. There is a lot more stuff in your body than just fat, and all that stuff varies in weight based on all sorts of factors beyond your control. You are looking to see your weight go down over a long period of time. Even if you did literally everything perfect, every day, you would still have days or weeks where your weight stayed the same or went up.0 -
I prefer the measuring tape over the scale.
A. It's cheaper.
B. It's more accurate.
C. It tells you what size clothing you should be buying.
(plus no batteries to replace)
I don't understand why people obsess over a fluctuating number. Measurements don't fluctuate the way scales do and you only need to measure about once every two weeks. If you are doing what you need to lose weight, you will see the results in your measurements. Ditch the scale.
I've said it once and I'll say it again. Losing weight is great but losing inches is freaking fantastic!!!0 -
Shelley459087 wrote: »Thank you for your responses! think I will splurge on a good set of scales.
I know I shouldn't worry too much about what the reading is but I find it extremely discouraging to wake up and find after I've worked hard for the whole week to find I've gained weight (when that may not be the case).
I gain at ovulation and right before my TOM. Because of this (and because Lyle McDonald said to) I compare myself to last month, not last week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6846ZTBu08k&index=4&list=PLUXvX9BaxgqG9yO5XWB3gA_QshvrrcjVr
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I prefer the measuring tape over the scale.
A. It's cheaper.
B. It's more accurate.
C. It tells you what size clothing you should be buying.
(plus no batteries to replace)
I don't understand why people obsess over a fluctuating number. Measurements don't fluctuate the way scales do and you only need to measure about once every two weeks. If you are doing what you need to lose weight, you will see the results in your measurements. Ditch the scale.
I've said it once and I'll say it again. Losing weight is great but losing inches is freaking fantastic!!!
Huh. I can't get the same measurement twice in a row. At least the scale is easier to do.
But this is very much a to each their own situation. I prefer the scale but get that some don't.1 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »I prefer the measuring tape over the scale.
A. It's cheaper.
B. It's more accurate.
C. It tells you what size clothing you should be buying.
(plus no batteries to replace)
I don't understand why people obsess over a fluctuating number. Measurements don't fluctuate the way scales do and you only need to measure about once every two weeks. If you are doing what you need to lose weight, you will see the results in your measurements. Ditch the scale.
I've said it once and I'll say it again. Losing weight is great but losing inches is freaking fantastic!!!
Huh. I can't get the same measurement twice in a row. At least the scale is easier to do.
But this is very much a to each their own situation. I prefer the scale but get that some don't.
I am not very good with the tape measure either. I blame the amount of squish in my body for the variances. Maybe when I'm covered with mostly rock hard muscle I'll get consistency. A girl can dream. Close enough is useful for buying clothes that actually fit though.0 -
jennybearlv wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »I prefer the measuring tape over the scale.
A. It's cheaper.
B. It's more accurate.
C. It tells you what size clothing you should be buying.
(plus no batteries to replace)
I don't understand why people obsess over a fluctuating number. Measurements don't fluctuate the way scales do and you only need to measure about once every two weeks. If you are doing what you need to lose weight, you will see the results in your measurements. Ditch the scale.
I've said it once and I'll say it again. Losing weight is great but losing inches is freaking fantastic!!!
Huh. I can't get the same measurement twice in a row. At least the scale is easier to do.
But this is very much a to each their own situation. I prefer the scale but get that some don't.
I am not very good with the tape measure either. I blame the amount of squish in my body for the variances. Maybe when I'm covered with mostly rock hard muscle I'll get consistency. A girl can dream. Close enough is useful for buying clothes that actually fit though.
Outside of running gear, I've given up on buying clothes for a while. But yeah, maybe it will work when I'm not obese. But for now the scale is my only friend.0
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